1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of electric energy by harnassing wave action.
Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a wave responsive electric energy generator which continually produces energy responsive to upward and downward movement of waves.
2. General Background and Prior Art
The problem of harnessing the power of waves has long been a problem which has captured the interests of the technical community. It has long been known in the art of power generation to generally harness the energy available in ocean waves to produce for example electrical energy which is usable by the consuming public. Broadly, most of these devices operate initially on the principle of lifting and lowering a float. A great number of devices have been developed and patented along these lines in an attempt to capture the energy of waves, and thus harness their power. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos., 562,317, 632,139, 694,242, 738,996, 886,883, 917,411, and 986,629. Early patents such as these rely upon mechanical linkages between fixed floats to trap the rocking, lifting, falling, or longitudinal motions of waves. For the most part, these early patents are highly inefficient.
Later patents were developed at the turn of the century attempting to solve the problem of harnessing wave energy. Some references such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,072,272 attempt to harness wave energy by the use of the wave's kinetic energy.
Other prior art type devices include for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,184,362, 1,259,845, 1,502,511, 1,202,742, 1,471,222, 1,647,025, 1,746,613, 1,953,285, and 1,962,047.
A plurality or series of floats are seen in for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 14,098,094, 1,567,470, 1,688,032, 1,867,780, and 1,925,742.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,528,165, 169,356 and 1,818,066 show early wave motors which are extremely complex mechanically.
More recent wave motors have been patented. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,950 issued Apr. 29, 1975 to K. Yamada for a wave generator used in conjunction with an offshore nuclear power plant.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,938 issued Oct. 14, 1975 to Gregory D. Philipenco there is provided a floating wave generator that upon piston actuation a turbine system is activated to generate electricity.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,592 issued to William Porter and entitled "Electrical Generator System" there is seen a recently issued U.S. Patent, a combination wind turbine, and wave generating system.
A plurality of screws opened to the sea water generate electricity from the action of ground swells.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,463 issued to M. Welczer there is provided a "Wave Motor". In that patent a cylinder is fixed to a first float with a plunger fixed to a second float and an anchor secured to the cylinder to retain the cylinder in a vertical position above the sea bottom. Wave crests and wave troughs cause the cylinder to move laterally and the plunger to rise and fall within the cylinder thereby converting the wave energy to mechanical pumping energy.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,168 issued to Michael G. Tornabene there is seen a "Wave Action Power Apparatus". The Tornabene device provides a double action piston water pump. To and fro strokes are produced responsive to the float moving upwardly and downwardly on wave crests and troughs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,658 issued to C. M. Johnson and entitled "Wave Pump" there is provided a cammed rod connected to a float which moves upwardly and downwardly responsive to wave action. A pumping action is produced when a follower tracks the cammed surfaces of the rod to operate a pump.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,213 issued to Glen E. Hagen and entited "Wave Driven Generator" there is provided a plurality of differing sized floats which are connected to form an array through linear interfaces so that relative motions drive hydraulic pumps.
Most of these prior art devices are highly complexed and inefficient.
They rely to the large extent on complex linkages and moving parts which would not withstand a harsh ocean or marine environment.